Adulting: How it Works

“Do it while you’re young” is a common bit of advice passed down from older generations.

Youth seems to be the time to have fun, be carefree and pursue things that aren’t too serious. You can get away with not “worrying about it” when you’re young.

The perception is that when adulthood strikes, everything becomes serious. There are taxes to pay, schedules to keep, payments to make, and mouths to feed. It seems that all of the fun is zapped out of life when you reach a certain age.

"Adulting" refers to the responsibilities of adulthood, but the context is that the rest of life can be fun. Yes, you have to go to your job and pay your bills. That's the adulting part. Then, you can play video games or head to the movies. The responsibility part is important. Once the work is done, playtime can take place.

Anthropologist and cultural strategist Jamie Gordon discusses adulting.